Chapter 4 Working Memory 1 Identify three different aspects in human memory processes a Encoding b Storage c Retrieval 2 Know the 3 stage processing model of memory proposed by Atkinson Shiffrin and its limitations a Information processing approach Pg 117 a theory of cognition proposing that mental processes are similar to the operations of a computer and information progresses through the cognitive system in a series of stages one step at a time proposal that memory involves b Atkinson and Shiffrin model Pg 117 a sequence of separate steps in each step information is transferred from one stage area to another i External stimuli from the environment first enter sensory memory this model proposes that information in sensory memory is stored for two seconds or less and then most of it is forgotten 1 Sensory memories iconic visual and echoic auditory ii Proposes that some material from sensory memory then passes on to STM Memories in STM are fragile but not as fragile as sensory memory 1 Information in STM can last about 30 seconds without some kind of rehearsal or memory strategy iii According to the model only a fraction of the information is passed on to LTM they also believed that information in LTM is relatively permanent iv Proposed central processes Pg 119 internal strategies such as rehearsal that people may use to improve their memory c Limitations of Atkinson and Shiffrin i Only focused on the role of STM in memory and learning but not on its role in other cognitive tasks ii Raised a question about the distinction between STM and LTM are they really that clear cut in their distinction and roles iii Lead to the change from STM to working memory WM 3 Be able to define STM classical term and know related terms a STM Pg 111 Rehearsal decay magic number seven etc and how they work in STM the part of memory that holds on the small amount of information that a person is actively using information that s recently been taken from the environment Has a limited capacity for the amount of information that one can hold at a time and a limited capacity for the length of time it can be held i Keeps information active and accessible temporarily b Magical number seven George Miller 7 plus or minus 2 i Suggests that people can hold about 7 items give or take 2 So somewhere between 5 and 9 items can be held in STM ii Miller used the term chunk to describe the basic unit of STM Chunk Pg 111 a memory unit that consists of several components that are strongly associated with one another 1 Suggests that the magical number 7 refers to chunks or items if nothing is being chunked a Example we could remember about 7 items of random numbers or letters or we can organize several numbers or letters so that they form a chunk allowing us to remember more b Example the phone number 617 346 3421 If your area code is 671 and all of FSU s phone numbers began with 346 the phone number consists of 6 chunks 617 is one chunk 346 is another chunk and then 3 4 2 1 are all individual chunks c Without rehearsal the pure capacity of STM is probably closer to 3 5 items STM or wm i Rehearsal repetition strategy that maintains information in ii Decay without rehearsal items are quickly forgotten 1 Decay is one way to lose information from STM 4 What is the serial position effect What is the source of primacy What is the source of recency a Serial position effect Pg 113 words position in a list and its probability of recall Recall is especially accurate for the initial words and final words in a list and recall is lease accurate for the words in the middle of a list the U shaped relationship between a b U curve shows a strong recency effect Pg 114 tendency for items at the end of a list to be better recalled than items in the middle of list i Argued that this recall is because these words were still in WM STM at the time of recall with less interference c U shaped curve shows a strong primacy effect Pg 114 tendency for items at the beginning of a list to be recalled better than the items in the middle of a list at least partially because people rehearse these items more frequently and also because they don t need to compete with any earlier items i Stored in LTM because of rehearsal 5 Know two different types of interference a Proactive interference Pg 115 material because some previously learned material continues to interfere with the formation of new memories difficulty learning or recalling new i OLD material gets in the way of new material ii Example you learned XCJ HBR and TSV in one task and then in the second you learned KRN TLK and MCW You ll have trouble remembered the letters from the second task because of the letters you remembered from the first task 1 But if the task switches categories from letters to shapes you ll experience a rise from proactive interference Pg 116 a memory phenomenon in which proactive interference is reduced when a person switches from one category of stimuli to another This release leads to increased recall for the new category b Retroactive interference Pg 172 experience difficulty in learning or recalling old material because some recently learned material interferes with these older memories In memory people often i NEW material gets in the way of old material a Working memory Pg 121 6 Be able to define WM and explain differences between STM and WM the brief immediate memory for the limited amount of material a person is currently processing Part of WM also actively coordinates ongoing mental activities i Briefly holds information so its accessible function 3 you can keep a few items active and accessible function 1 so you can use the activated items for a variety of cognitive tasks coordinates ongoing mental activities function 2 and these items can be integrates with additional incoming information WM actively works with information ii Temporary mental workspace iii STM is limited to the function of the memory span in WM we take in information transform and manipulate it and then remember it 1 STM implies a passive process it just holds information WM emphasizes the simultaneous processing and storage of information iv A digit span task is used to measure the capacity of STM but in the WM span task you have to hold the information in your memory and work on different types of activities in the task 7 Know the 4 different parts in WM and their roles and be able to how those four part work in WM What is an acoustic confusion And subvocalization What s the evidence of
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